Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 on Sunday to claim a third consecutive Women’s FA Cup title in front of a record crowd at Wembley Stadium as Australian striker Sam Kerr’s strike was the difference again.
Kerr, who also scored the winner in last season’s final, turned substitute Pernille Harder’s fine cross in the 68th minute to decide a close game in front of 77,390 fans – a world record for a game national feminine.
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“We didn’t have a great game today, but it’s a sign of a great team that we pushed on,” Kerr said.
United dominated possession and created plenty of chances in the first half but couldn’t find a breakthrough as Chelsea struggled to level with the leaders of the Women’s Super League (WSL).
Leah Galton saw a goal ruled out in the first minute for offside, while both goalkeepers, Ann-Katrin Berger and Mary Earps, made excellent saves as the teams entered level the break.
United were quickly forced to regret their lost chances after the restart, as Chelsea progressed through the game and broke the deadlock thanks to Kerr. The goal cut the wind from United’s sails and Chelsea were able to contain them as they held on to lift the trophy for the fifth time.
The teams will now move their rivalry to the WSL, where defending champions Chelsea are second in the table with 49 points from 19 games, one point behind United who have played one game more.